Resilience and Perseverance: - What comes next
by Ezmarelda Elizabeth MacKlintof
Summary: This is the second part to Resilience and Perseverance and it follow's Bella's first year as a vampire with the cullen's and everything that goes on throughout that year.


**_Edward's Point of View_**

The next two weeks were filled with hunting and love making. I am amazed at how controlled Bella is and that she is actually still the same Bella despite now being a new born.

There was one almost slip during one of our hunting trips that saw a lost hiker almost get killed by Bella, that had me quite frightened for a moment there, but yet again she just stopped mid-hunt and changed directions to go after a large feline instead.

Jasper is so not going to believe me when I tell him this as all he has ever known of new born's is that they are mindless killers who are instinct driven and would never be able to have the control that my wife has this soon after being reborn a vampire and I feel a sense of pride well up in my chest.

A couple of days after she woke up we were laying on the beach, just enjoying being in each other arms when I heard her worried voice inside my head for the first time. It startled me to the point I jumped slightly and just stared at her.

 _'Will they all still love me now that I am like them? How will Jazz react to me being controlled? Will he hate me for it?'_

Bella sensing my slight movement, she asked "Edward, is everything ok?" but when she looked at me she added "Did you just hear my thoughts?" all I could do was nod my head and I see her gasp and go paler – if that were possible – and I tilt my head to the side and add quickly "Although Bella, I can't hear them now."

She sighed and relaxed back into the sand, then she sat bolt upright again and faced me. She looks me dead in the eyes and says in a determined tone. "I want to try something." She pauses long enough for me to nod my consent and then she takes a breath and she gets this look of concentration that was rather adorable, but then just when I was about to say that I still couldn't hear a thing I not only hear her voice, but I see images as well.

The images were of me. All memories from her human life of me, from the first day that she met me all the way to the first day she woke up as a vampire. They showed me just how much she loves me and is so grateful to me for saving her. I gasp and am filled with so much emotion I thought I was going to burst and I look upon her with eyes that had I been human they would have been brimming with tears.

I didn't know what else to do so I just crushed my lips to hers in a passionate kiss that turned to mind blowing sex as she opened her mind up to me as I pleasured her. Since then most of the time we are intimate she allows me to hear her thoughts, but sometimes when we are hunting she lets me read her thoughts and we can hunt jointly in a way I never thought possible.

Right now though we are waiting for Alice and Jasper to get here in the main room of the house. We have put on some clothes even though we didn't really want to do that as we just couldn't get enough of each other. Especially now when she lets me into her head, although I still preferred when I couldn't hear her thoughts as it's nice to be in the quiet without all these other voices in my head.

I now know how Emmitt and Rosalie feel still to this day. Bella is leaning up against me on the couch and we hear a rustling sound coming from the dock, Bella tenses for a moment but just then there was a wind that blew Jasper and Alice's scent to us and Bella relaxes, I then hear Jasper's thoughts.

 _'Let Bella know we are here and that she doesn't need to fear us'_

"Bella, Jasper wanted me to let you know that with your new sight he may seem scarier than before and you do not need to be afraid of him ok?" I see her look of confusion in her almost dark golden orbs and add. "When Jasper fought new born vampires he got a lot of scars that human eyes can't really make out and with you being a new born and still very observant you may react first on instinct and he doesn't want to hurt you or make you upset. Remember they don't know what to expect with you because they were not here with you when you woke up."

I see the moment she comprehends this, but I know that she is going to surprise him, so I whisper in her ear. "Don't worry though as you are more controlled than any new born ever was." I smile at her and she leans up to kiss me, then I call out to Jazz and Alice.

I stand up and make sure Bella stays seated for a moment as they walk in. Jasper walks in front of Alice in a defensive position ready to make his move to protect his mate at the first sign of Bella getting out of control. I just smile at him and he looks a little confused for a moment, still looking at Bella.

She stands up slowly and looks at Jazz and Alice, I know when she sees the scars because she gasps and her hand flies to her mouth with a look of sadness that comes across her face, she stays like that for a moment before her hand slowly moves away to reveal her beautiful smile.

Then she speaks in an even and calm tone "It's ok Jazz, I won't hurt my family and I could never be afraid of you." Next thing I know Jasper's stunned voice comes into my head.

 _'What the… how can she be… so… so… controlled? What is going on Edward?'_

I was about to answer when Bella spoke, observing our exchange… I smile at her knowing this is one more thing she still has from her human self that I fell in love with and again I am in awe of my wife.

"Jasper, what is the matter? I am still the same Bella that you last saw 2 weeks ago, only I'm not so breakable." When he still didn't move she looked at me with concern and I hear her voice in my head

 _'Edward did I say or do something wrong? I don't want him to fear me!'_

I look at her and say out loud "Jasper is wondering why you are so controlled and isn't sure what to make of it. He isn't afraid of you so don't take it personally, most vampires are very weary when it comes to all new born's" I look over to see both Jasper and Alice looking confused and then I realised I hadn't called ahead to let them know about Bella's ability.

"Bella has an ability and it seems she is a shield, which was why I couldn't read her mind, but she can let me read her mind when she chooses to." Alice seems happy and really wanting to come over to her to give her a hug, if her bouncing up and down on the spot was anything to go by, but Jasper just puts his arm around her waist. I sigh and when Bella heard this she just looks at Jasper intently.

In an instant I am flooded with images and clips of Jasper from Bella's human memories and how she loves him as the brother she never had and couldn't ever live without coming from Jasper's mind. Jasper lets out a shocked gasp and instantly seems to relaxes enough so that Alice just runs around him and crashes into Bella at top speed, all the while squealing.

They hit the floor and then both Jasper and I tense for a moment as we wait to see what Bella does. I get the same flashes of images and clips as I did from Jasper, only this time they were of Alice and they were coming from Alice's mind.

They both start laughing and we relax. Jasper moves to take their luggage to their room while I watch my wife and my sister laugh on the floor being filled with happiness that makes me smile a genuine smile I haven't ever had.

Jasper comes to stands next to me and puts a hand on my shoulder and asks out loud with serious interest that made me wonder if he had a bet going with Emmett. "How was she on her first hunt?" I reply quite proudly "She did wonderfully, got a jungle cat straight away." I smile at him while the girls were still on the ground.

We were still looking at each other when all of a sudden, both Jasper and I whip our heads to look at the girls in concern and see that they are now sitting on the floor, but Bella looks like she is concentrating while looking at Alice's face and Alice is looking at us with amusement written on her face. She then turns to look at Bella and they both just break out into fits of giggles. We look at them, then each other in confusion.

I look through Jasper's thoughts and see that he can't feel Alice, just as I can't hear either of their thoughts. Jasper asks me "Can you hear what either one is saying as I can't feel either of them." I shake my head as I try to think what could be going on.

Before I can formulate my thoughts Bella's voice is bringing me back to the present moment. "Don't worry you two I was just testing something out and I guess it worked. It seems that I can block your abilities from working and I can somehow project my thoughts and feelings to someone else."

I don't know what is written on our faces as they just break out into more giggles. After a few minutes though Bella sobers up first and looks at Jasper, then Alice and tells then "It is soo good to see you both again. I love being alone with Edward, but I have missed both of you and the rest of the family." And with that she hugs Alice again and then she moves at vampire speed, closing the short gap to stand before Jasper, who tenses for a moment before wrapping his arms around Bella and picking her up and doing a small twirl.

I smile at how happy we were at this moment. Bella is right, I can't wait till the rest of the family gets here to join in on her first year. Alice comes over to hug me and I pick her up and give her a small twirl like what Jazz did with Bella.

It is then that I noticed their eyes are almost a match to Bella's and I say to them "Perhaps we could all go hunting together? Seeing as you had a long journey here and you must be thirsty" Alice and Jazz just nods and we all go out into the jungle so they can see how Bella goes for themselves.


End file.
